3 Creative Ways To Market

In an effort to capture my young audience and engage them in my marketing campaign, I've chosen three platforms that all introduce a discovery element at their core. I desperately try to be inventive in whatever I seek out to do, so much that it can be exhausting, and I even question if the desired result is even worth it, but as an artist, it's what we hope to accomplish.

There was one movie this summer that I couldn't stop seeing. I, like a lot of people, were floored with total amazement at its' layered story. The script and the language are rich with interesting thoughts and eyebrow-raising ideas. The film is brilliant and it really made me think about the act of discovery. The movie proclaims discovery being genuine inspiration. That quote has carried a lot of weight in my mind for months. I thought, if I could get high school seniors to discover my photography on their own would it stick with them longer? On top of that, what if the way they discovered my work, provoked curiosity by being slightly mysterious in my marketing, which in turn would lengthen their act of discovery, as they would have to do a little of their own searching. When I hear a song on a commercial that I love, I am almost always compelled to look for it online, go to forums and search it out. When I discover the artist and song information I'm happy and satisfied. I wanted to convey the same experience to these seniors.

1. A sticker flood.

The local rock band Digital Summer's sticker-on-every-street-corner campaign inspired me to walk the same path, but attempt to leave my own personal mark. My stickers have different messages on them. They aren't all direct, they don't give the passerby an exact place to go, they just plant an idea. My hope is that this idea will initiate a personal exploration.

So one night a week, with my buddy Kelvin documenting our adventures (which is #3), we blanket the city with these white and green stickers. Here is a map of the damage so far. Where should we target next?

View The Liberation Sticker Flood in a larger map

In addition to my own participation in the sticker flood, I have been fortunate enough to have two Mountain Ridge students aid me in this purpose. So big thanks go to Claire & Torrin, for they have taken the responsibility to decorate the school campus with "N's" and the "Liberation" message.

2. A enigmatic journal.

I purchased a sharp, classic looking journal from Moleskine. I wrote on over 50 of its' pages with questions for the students to answer. When one student answers, he/she will then give the book to someone else, so they can partake. I loved the idea of this book where kids shared intimate secrets and insights to their lives anonymously, which would help them discover a little about who they are & who they're becoming. On the inside flap, is the book's purpose...

A few of the questions within the book:

What's your strongest passion?

Describe the most real threat to your self confidence.

Are you perceived how you want to be perceived?

If you've been in love, describe how you think it feels.

What makes you proud?

What's been your greatest challenge in high school?

I certainly hope this little black book makes its' way back to me after Valentines Day. The answers would be fascinating.

3. Teaser (less is more)

The most memorable movie trailer that comes to mind is the teaser for Cloverfield. I remember after it played before Transformers I had no desire to see the movie I was about to see, it had flushed away all my attention. I spent the next two hours distracted, recalling the first-person shots, and the frighteningly realistic feeling of panic and hysteria that was injected in me in just 80 seconds. And the catch: the movie had no title. No giant text at the end of the teaser to tell me what I had just seen. Just a day to look forward to, a release date. You bet the first thing I did when I got home was go online for an answer to what I had just seen. The height of my curiosity was at new levels. I was driven to the computer for understanding.

Kelvin and I are filming my guerilla advertising journey in hopes to raise even more awareness. In less than a week I will release a teaser on the liberation facebook page that will give viewers an inside look into our risky venture, and hopefully salivating for something more.

Much to look forward to in this next month! How do you guys market yourselves creatively?

The Barker's -The Family Collection-

The Barkers are back. With a girl on the way, and Bo growing at a shocking rate, this family is rapidly changing. For an earlier look, and an insight into this family check out last years post. They remain one of my most favorite families to shoot. It's always a privilege and an honor to photograph good friends. This is the Barker family.

-Media Day- The Suns Collection

I've been distracted. Still in the early stages of the recovery process from ACL reconstructive surgery, I am racked with guilt. And excuses. I have ignored this blog for many reasons. One of them legitimate (the injury), the others, well, they would just be ways to defend my forays into different fields of entrepreneurship. Let me explain.

I have been blessed with numerous passions, and ambition that could be described as volcanic. Brewing inside of me are ideas, and a few of these cracks of inspiration have been spiderwebbing in the last month, prompting me to take some action. In short, the last thirty days or so of my life have been erupting with new opportunities. Over the next few weeks, I hope to share with you all of these ideas and new projects that have acted as a sort of "creative rehab", helping me overcome the stagnancy of the past few months, in which I wasn't able to participate in what I love to do. Doesn't it feel good to have your creative cells rebooted?

So, first new opportunity... shooting court side at Phoenix Suns games. I got the connection through a friend of mine, Matt Petersen who was kind enough to pass along my name to an editor of the basketball blog, Hoops Addict. I was invited out to the Suns media day to become acquainted with some of the people in the communications department, and then to photograph the media circus surrounding a national basketball team.

This was certainly, and will continue to be, a very surreal experience. Since Charles Barkley was skinny I've watched literally hundreds of suns games, invested hours upon hours keeping myself up to date with the roller coaster ride that is planet orange, in a continuous devotion to an organization that I really have no relationship with. But that's the definition of a fan. But there I was, standing next to a two-time MVP, Steve Nash, now having the opportunity to say everything I always wanted to compliment him on, and I was struck mute. Too overwhelmed by the largeness and lucidity of the basketball idol I had grown to worship, I kept to myself and quietly took pictures of players. Some even younger than me, and all, much richer than me. But none more lucky than me.

So as I remain humbled and grateful for an opportunity that instills such a giddiness in me it almost makes me look juvenile, I look forward to documenting a season of purple and orange, and this time, from the floor. As a fan, and a photographer. This is the beginning of the Suns Collection.

Ryan & Kara - The Wedding Collection-

His excitement while observing Phoenix Suns basketball inspires him to strip off his clothes. One of a hundred reasons why I love Ryan Gardner. Early in March Ryan married a girl most declare, “is the sweetest person I’ve ever met”. Kara met Ryan while he was impersonating a more smelly, sweatier version of the Memphis singer who claimed he was all shook up. Parading around as a mascot at a roller derby game, playing ‘The King’, hairy chest in full bloom, more animated than Dreamworks, Ryan would have you believe that Kara, at first sight, fell deeply in love. Yet, it took a little bit longer. Their first kiss didn’t even come until the third date. But soon Ryan’s striking good looks & charm won her over. Okay, I’m patronizing him.

It’s no surprise Kara fell in love with a man who seriously has the most determined work ethic, second only to my own father, that i’ve ever seen. It’s no surprise she fell in love with a man who illuminates a room with his charisma. It’s no surprise she fell in love with a man who’s friends constantly have sore ribs, a result of his unique ability to create an unordinary amount of laughing among everyone. You could argue he’s everyone’s favorite ginger, a red-headed teddy bear who makes all around him, comfortable. Kara is his perfect counterpart though, wrangling in his ego, shutting him up when he’s said too much, encouraging him to be a better man, and most of all, loving him unconditionally. She sounds harmless. She sounds like she doesn’t have an angry fiber in her being. She really is one of the most gentle, most sweetest, people I’ve ever met. Together, with their electric personalities, they are truly some of the most enjoyable people to share moments of your life with. Even if Ryan is chest bumping you with his shirt off. This is Ryan & Kara’s wedding day.